To be terrified that I have rendered myself infertile?

[Roundofapplauses]

I have just been tested and informed that I have contracted chlamydia, and herpes.
Please no judgement, I have been with my partner for years. I was told that both chlamydia and herpes can be symptomless, so I have no idea for how long I have had it. It would have to be longer than 3 years now, at this point.

We have been ttc for around 2 years, as in, not using any contraception and having very regular sex, and nothing has happened.

Have I made myself permanently infertile?

I’ve had 4 failed ivf treatments now :-( trying to see if they can do something to unblock the tubes like tubal recanulization, but I’ll probably be in the menopause by the time I hear anything :(

In the real world, the vast majority of people really don't go off to a clinic and provide certificates to their partners before having sex. Yeah, ideally that's what would happen. But in reality it rarely does and it's hilarious that you think the chances are 'vanishingly tiny' that someone had a shag without getting a full MOT first.

You missed where I said ‘unprotected’. Of course I didn’t mean before the first shag! The disbelief bit came from OP somehow knowing it was a years-old infection - if I’d been with the same guy all along and got this diagnosis I would, I think, have some questions. But anyway I hope OP is well on the mend now and with absolutely no harm done.

The amount of people that don’t use condoms is shocking - so many young people are having g sec with lots of different people and haven’t looked after their sexual health.

With the heath service the way it is, was it worth it?

That really is high risk behaviour, do you really think people are doing it with strangers unprotected? That’s shocking. You would think the message would be loud and clear.

Not the point of the thread but I’m another person who came of age in the mid-80s when HIV infection was a death sentence. Absolutely everyone I knew used condoms. There was no discussion. And without condoms no sex. DH is the first and only man I’ve had condom-free sex with. I think those habits and that thinking stay with you.

Yes, since HIV became a chronic treatable disease condom use has dropped.

That’s absolutely shocking.

I still have ‘the fear’ around STIs and couldn’t believe it last year when I heard a doctor on the radio saying he would rather have HIV than diabetes, as HIV is treatable now and diabetes is hard to manage, especially for young people. I couldn’t get my head around it as it used to be a death sentence and remember the intense fear surrounding it in the 80s and 90s.

Im so glad that it’s now better for people with HIV but this comment really stayed with me.

Yes it is one of the biggest advances in medicine in my lifetime.

How recent have you had symptoms of these STD’s Chlamydia is often symptomless but does often present as an unusual discharge. Herpes lesions - have you just got them? Does your partner get cold sores?

Unless you have developed PID from your infection, I doubt that it will affect your fertility.

No judgement - I was silly when I was a bit younger, and on the rebound. Went sleeping with a few men and ended up getting chylamydia and gonorrhea. Luckily, I had some pretty nasty symptoms, so I was treated early on.

I would finish course of antibiotics and carry on as normal - you can arrange for scans etc to give you peace of mind that there is no scarring in the reproductive system etc. Though, this will likely be private and not on NHS, unless you are already with a fertility clinic.

OP - was your husband tested too?